Auntie Bella and His Brother's Keeper
by Jdifrans1
Summary: A short fic about Bella raising her nephews as her own and a sweet mechanic named Edward. Written for notthatamandas birthday.
1. Chapter 1

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA!

Amanda needed a birthday fic, I'm hoping this one will not disappoint. Thank you for always being such a great friend, Amanda! I am blessed to know you :)

Thank you to RTP4ME and Myheroin for prereading and all your advise!

Mel beta'd this super quick for me. Thank you so much!

Disclaimer: SM owns Twilight. I own my mistakes. No copyright infringement intended.

Auntie Bella and His Brother's Keeper

Ding.

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding

Edward looked up from his bench to see an adorable little boy with floppy, curly hair running back and forth across the doorway of his shop making the bell chime over and over. The boy's mother had her arms full with a baby, keys, purse, and diaper bag but was doing her best to corral him.

"Please, Jacob, stop. The nice man who works here knows we walked in already. Please listen. Let's pretend you're a good kid who listens, all right?"

"Otay!" He yells and follows her up to the service desk.

He stands at the counter and keeps jumping to look over it. Edward leans over and waves at him once he gets there, making the little kid giggle and hide behind mom.

"Hi, what can I help you with today, ma'am?"

"I have an appointment to have my car looked at. The brakes started making noises yesterday, "she explains as she bounces the little one on her hip. Edward is struck by how young she looks to have two small children but also by her beauty. She's not wearing much makeup, but just enough to highlight her pretty brown eyes and soft pink cheeks. She isn't dressed up but she isn't wearing pajamas either, she looks nice while her curves that have him biting his lip and wishing she were single. What he wouldn't give to have his hands full of her.

"You're early. That's a rarity around here. If I may have your keys, I'll get it pulled in and take a look." She fumbles for her keys and starts to blush, not used to being looked at with such desire.

He gives her a small smile and shows her the customer lounge where there is a television and coloring books for the kids. He smiles at her and nods as he leaves to bring her car in.

"He finks yer pretty, Auntie Belwa." Jacob says matter of factly once Edward walks away.

She smiles at him and says, "You mean he thinks, not finks. And you are very sweet but I'm sure he's nice to all the customers."

His declaration already forgotten, Jacob starts jumping across the chairs and singing, "I'm hungry. I'm hungry."

Bella closes her eyes and tries to calm down and not scream like she wants to, Brady takes the opportunity to pull her hair and proceed to wail.

"Boys, please. I brought you lunch but you need to sit down and not make a mess. Do you hear me, Jacob?" she asks as she starts digging through the diaper bag for Jacob's lunch and Brady's bottle.

The baby giggles and pulls her hair more as she gets Jacob situated. "I don't wike corn bread. I wike the other bread."

"I do not have any other bread with me. You may eat only the food that you LIKE, but do not complain that you are hungry, understand?"

He nods yes and takes a giant bite of his cheese stick and pops a grape into his mouth. Bella raises her eyebrow in warning and he starts to chew more diligently. Knowing he'll be in trouble if he spits anything out.

She gets the formula mixed and thanks God once again that Brady only likes his bottles room temperature. Smiling down at the little one in her arms she sighs. He pulls her hair, earrings, necklaces, and everything else he can get his hands on but refuses to hold his own bottle.

"You're lucky you're so cute," she tells him and he smiles around the bottle in his mouth like he knows just how much he can get away with.

****There will be more soon :)****

Thanks for reading. Please wish notthatamanda a happy belated!

J


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi! Thank you for every follow, fave, and review. I treasure each one. I hope to update again with a longer chapter this week :)**

 **Thanks to RTP4ME and myheroin for pre-reading and keeping me on track!**

 **Thank you Mel for the quick turn around and making this much easier to read :)**

 _"You're lucky you're_ s _o cute," she_ _tells him and he smiles around the bottle in his mouth like he knows just how much he can get away with._

Once the baby is fed, burped, and changed, he falls asleep in Bella's arms. Jacob is busy coloring as she dares to take a bite of the apple she brought for herself, musing as she chews that it really is a miracle she isn't much thinner seeing as she never has time to eat a real meal anymore.

Six months doesn't seem like a very long time, but she can hardly remember what it was like to be child-free. What it was like to be aunt and not a full-time stay-at-home mom. Sure she could put them in daycare, but the boys have been through too much already so she couldn't bring herself to do it. Luckily, the advertising company she works for only cares about the final product and not where or when she works on the designs.

"Excuse me, ma'am. We've taken a look at your car and I'm afraid it may need a bit more than brakes." The nice man who greeted her earlier with a big welcoming smile looks afraid. Like it's somehow his fault that her car is a piece of crap. "Would it be okay if I went over it with you here so your son could keep coloring?"

Bella nods and doesn't even bother to correct him. Nearly everyone she comes across assumes they are her children and she jumped to correct everyone for the first month or so, before the reality of their situation set in. But now it seems silly to correct them. They are hers, and even though Leah will always be their mother. Bella can't bring herself to mention her step-sister's death around the boys.

"So along with the brakes and rotors needing replaced, the tires are bare, the engine oil and transmission fluids are low, and you also need a new oxygen sensor."

"This is all stuff I really need, right?" Bella asks, hoping that the sensor is optional or something.

Edward nods and says, "Unfortunately, yes. They are all vital components of your vehicle. All in it will run you about $800. We can have it done in about two hours."

"Okay. I guess go ahead and do the work. I'll try to keep these two under control." Shifting the sleeping baby to keep her arm from going numb, she sees Jacob looking at her and Edward. She narrows her eyes at him making him giggle as he goes back to coloring.

"I must say you have a very well behaved young man," Edward says with a smile.

"Thank you, that's very kind of you to say." Bella blushes and notices a man pacing just outside the glass door into the lounge. "Does he need you?"

"Oh. Um..." Edward smiles as he turns to see his brother. "That's my brother, Jasper. He's just anxious to start working."

He gives him a thumbs up and Jasper nods excitedly and walks back towards where the cars are being worked on.

"I'm Edward, please let me know if y'all need anything. The restrooms are just outside the door to the right." He stares at her just a bit too long, but long enough to feel guilty for lusting after a married woman with two young children. He stands abruptly and quickly walks into the shop.

He goes to check in Jasper, not that he needs to. His brother is very self-sufficient when it comes to cars.

"Thank you, Edward for getting her to agree to the repairs. This car is not safe." He shakes his head and continues undoing the lug nuts to remove the wheels from the car. " Not safe, not safe at all. The cords are showing. Do you see them, Edward? They are showing and the oil was three quarts low. That is not good for the motor."

"Hey, Jasper." Edward says in a loud but kind voice.

"Yes, Edward. Did you see..."

"Jasper, you're fixing it. The car will be safe now. Okay?"

"Okay. Okay, Edward." He continues removing the wheels and stacking them up; talking to himself but perfectly focused on his task.

Edward smiles and goes to order the parts. Thankful that Jasper is exactly where he is meant to be, and that he didn't have to deal with him being upset for days about an unsafe car that the customer didn't want fixed. There was nothing that bothered Jasper more.

 **Did you catch the y'all in there, Amanda? I figured you needed a Texas fic :)**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Love,**

 **J**


	3. Chapter 3

"I has to pee."

Bella finishes chewing her bite of apple and tosses it into a baggie, hoping it will still be edible by the time she gets back. She situates Brady in one arm and takes Jacob's hand, knowing better than to think he could walk in a garage without wandering into trouble.

Yelling, "hurry, hurry," he drags her as she tries to direct him and keep up without jostling the baby. After making it just in time, she praises him as they walk back to the waiting area, not noticing the mechanic watching her in awe.

"Jasper, it's noon," Edward says and his brother stops what he's doing and washes his hands at the sink before joining him at the counter for lunch.

"It's Thursday." Jasper says. "Why are we eating pizza? We eat pizza on Friday."

"Yeah, we can have it again tomorrow." Edward has no desire to explain that he didn't want to leave and miss seeing a woman he shouldn't even be looking at.

It takes Jasper a minute to adjust. He eats with a troubled look before announcing that they should have Chinese tomorrow since they missed it today. Edward nods but doesn't say anything else.

"I like her voice. The cords were showing on the tires, but I like her voice."

"What?" Edward looks up from his plate, completely lost. Not only does Jasper rarely start a conversation, but when he does, it's almost always about Alice.

"Whose voice?" Edward asks as calmly as he can as he puts his slice of pizza down and wipes his hands clean.

"The customer with the boys. She isn't loud or mean. She's like Mama. I like Mama's voice." Jasper goes back to eating as if he said nothing.

Hearing his brother compare her to their mom sets off a jealousy Edward didn't know he had. Along with his jealousy he feels shame. Neither of them should be looking at her the way they are.

"Don't you worry about her voice. Anyways, you love Alice, right? We shouldn't be fawning over a married woman, Jasper. It ain't right!" Edward slams his fist on the counter, more upset with himself than he could ever be with his brother.

"I love Alice. I always love Alice. She... She doesn't have a wedding ring on. She's wearing rings but not on that finger. Not that finger. She isn't married. I love Alice, Edward."

Edward tries to process this new information and calm Jasper all at once. He knows better than to touch him, but he reassures his brother that he knows Alice only loves him too and that he'll see her soon.

They both return to eating, knowing they have work to do. "I'm sorry, Jasper. Let's get this job done so you can get on home and see Alice, okay?"

Jasper nods and gets back to work. He finishes the brakes, changes the sensor, and puts the wheels back on, paying perfectly close attention to detail as he always does. Marking the job complete on the board makes him smile, and he quickly picks up the keys and clipboard for the next car on the list.

In the front of the shop Edward answers the phone and deals with customers dropping off their vehicles. He smiles at Bella each time he shows a customer to the lounge and sees for himself that she isn't wearing a wedding ring. He remembers that she didn't call anyone or mention a husband when he gave her the estimate either, like most people do. His palms sweat and his heart beats faster as he realizes that the beautiful girl he's felt guilty about looking at all day could be single. All her sweet smiles back at him could be more than just social politeness.

"Excuse me, ma'am. You're car is ready." Edward holds the door for her as she ushers Jacob out to the front desk with her arms full.

"Thank you, little man for being so good for your mama today." He reaches down to give Jacob a high five and is met by a furrowed brow and a pout.

"My mama is in heaven wif my daddy, mister. Dis is my Auntie Bella." Jacob explains in a sad, angry little voice, latches onto Bella's leg and hides his face as he cries into her thigh.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea..." Edward continues to ramble apologies as Bella runs her hand through Jacob's soft curly hair.

"It's my fault, really. I should have corrected you earlier but I get so tired of explaining our situation and try to avoid talking about it around the boys," Bella places her bags on the counter and kneels down so she can look in the eyes of a toddler who still has hard days and misses his mom.

"Jacob. This kind man was only tryin' to tell you what a great job you did today." She uses her free hand to wipe his tears and with a quick kiss to the forehead, so she doesn't cry herself, she goes on, "You were so good! You played very nicely and tried so hard to not bother others. I am very proud of you and so is Mr. Edward."

Jacob narrows his eyes at him and Bella gently turns his face back to hers. "He did not mean to hurt your feelings and he is very sorry. He just wanted to thank you. Can you please forgive him?"

He nods but stays behind Bella as she stands. "Sorry. You have other customers and here I am taking up all your time." She pulls her credit card out of her back pocket and hands it to Edward, who is staring at her in awe. Jasper was right, she has the kind patience about her that is just like mama.

"Please don't apologize for something that's my fault, ma'am."

"Bella, my name is Bella. Ma'am sounds so old." She wrinkles her face in disgust, lightning the mood and making Edward smile.

He chuckles at her reaction and concedes. "I'll run this through and get your receipt, Bella." Edward moves to put the card through as she untangles Brady's hand from her hair for what feels like the hundredth time today.

Knowing she isn't married and raising her nephews eats at him. People can be so selfish and self-absorbed, but she clearly isn't. He wants to know her story, how this all came to be. He feels an overwhelming need to know that she has support and that she is okay.

He places her receipt on the counter and holds it so she is able to sign with one hand. He watches her as she bounces the baby on her hip to keep him happy, and immediately reaching to play with Jacob's hair when she's done signing pushes him into action.

With a hand on the back of his neck and a bashful blush on his cheeks he clears his throat to get her attention.

"Um. This is really forward of me, but I have to at least ask. Ah...could I take you and the boys out for tacos or something? I feel bad about the misunderstanding and would really like to get to know more about you, Bella."

Caught off-guard and shocked she stares back at the very sweet mechanic and tries to think of a reason to say no.

"I wike tacos! Tacos! Tacos! Tacos!" Jacob chants as he jumps up and down.

"Sure? I mean..."

"Really? Okay how about tomorrow at six. I can meet y'all at the Mexican place on fifth?"

Bella blushes at his excitement. "All right." She pushes her hair behind her ear and smiles at him, wondering if she's dreaming. She's used to being the heavy girl who guys are friends with but don't date. The girl with a pretty smile or nice hair, but never the girl who was looked at the way Edward was looking at her, like she is sexy and wanted. But he seemed so genuine and kind, like he really wanted to know her, there was no way she could say no.

"Tomorrow at six." He smiles at her as she bites her lip and nods.

Jacob grabs her hand, still jumping about the tacos, and they walk out of the shop to her car.

Edward watches the way her hips move side to side and can't help but hope that the extra little sashay is for him.

While walking to the back he yells,"Hey, Jasper! Can I bring the customer with a nice voice to dinner tomorrow?"

Jasper scoots himself out from under a car on his creeper and looks at Edward approaching with his big tooth-showing grin. "Yes. I'll tell Alice we'll need a bigger booth and a high-chair. She'll need to seat us in a bigger booth."

"Yes. Yes she will"


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi! Thank you for every favorite, follow, and review! The wonderful response is so unexpected but very appreciated :)**

 **Melissa is kind enough to beta this for me and I am so grateful. Hopefully you're really sneeky and never get caught in class - I'd feel awful!**

 **I couldn't do this without the kind, encouraging, help from my prereaders - Myheroin, RTP4ME, and Ipsita (who also made the beautiful banner). Thank you so much, ladies!**

 **SM owns Twilight. I own all mistakes.**

Chapter 4

Bella's drive home is a blur. Pulling in the driveway she can't remember how she got there; her mind too preoccupied with thoughts of an adorable man that wore a navy blue uniform and a cocky smile. He seemed to be around her age of twenty-six, give or take a couple years either way. How was he single? He was attractive, polite, kind, employed? There had to be something she was missing, some reason he would be alone.

She wasn't ashamed of her body, but knew she wasn't the petite girl with a thin waist most guys wanted. She couldn't shop at Victoria's Secret or any of the other trendy stores in the mall. There had to be mention of plus, full, or curvy, in the brand for her to even consider browsing the store. Was he into big girls in some kinky way, was he only after her body to fetishize it? The thought made her stomach roll and she decided to focus on the boys and cooking dinner instead.

"How about some homemade Mac and Cheese for dinner?"

Jacob nods his head and runs to his toys, glad to be home where he can be loud and run. She changes Brady before putting him in his Pac N' Play to give her arm a break and him a chance to play. Kids music plays through her ipod and she sings along, much to the boys delight. It's not the same as cooking and singing like she used to — the smiles on the boys faces make it so much better.

They play, eat, and play some more until bed time. Bella gives them both a bath and tucks them into bed. She sits on the floor between the toddler bed and the crib and reads them stories until their eyes get heavy.

Sitting there between them, her thoughts drift back to Edward, to his smile, to his flushed cheeks. With a smile and a renewed urgency she goes to her closet to pick an outfit for what she hopes to be their first of many dates.

"Jasper, it's five." Edward calls into the back of the shop. His brother starts turning off equipment and putting away his tools. Within fifteen minutes he's cleaned up and walking to the front door.

"Have a good night. Tell Alice I said hello." Edward yells and waves to him from the front desk where he's entering invoices.

"Okay." He says and nods like he does every day, leaving without another word.

Edward grins as he remembers the first couple weeks of them working together. Jasper would have worked straight through lunch and all night, if he'd been allowed. He was so excited to be the only mechanic, to not have to worry about whether or not the other guys were taking shortcuts or not properly fixing the cars. He worked at his own pace, without being watched over or having his work doubted.

At his previous job, the owner, Maria, called him "boy", yelled at him to shut up and do as he was told. Jasper tried to obey but knew something wasn't right. His parents, Carlisle and Esme, noticed him withdrawing more than normal, and after hearing him mumbling awful obscenities about himself they knew they had to step in.

Reluctantly, they asked Edward to talk to him, knowing he would try to take it upon himself to protect his brother as he always had.

They knew their son learned differently and didn't communicate like his older brother, but they worked with him to make sure he could live a normal life. He went to school, had a job, learned to drive — he was no less than Edward. They were simply different, like all siblings are.

Not everyone shared their belief. Many told them Jasper should be kept at home or institutionalized. They called him names and teased him. Edward wouldn't have it. He'd throttle anyone who dared to harass his brother. He was suspended so many times for fighting that he was held back a year in school, much to his delight — they were now in the same grade. It made being his protector much easier and gave him a chance at normalcy.

After discovering what he was going through at work, Edward demanded to find a solution and as a family came up with the idea of opening a small garage where he could be the mechanic and Edward could handle sales and the customers.

Carlisle and Esme hated the idea of taking Edward's freedom away, of him being Jasper's keeper, but he insisted. To Edward it was simple, no one could treat his brother wrong if he was with him shop thrived and so did they.

Edward frowns remembering having to set up a schedule so his brother would stop to eat lunch and go home at the end of the day. He tried not to think about how many days he must have not eaten or been allowed to work late, when he worked at Maria's.

The phone ringing grabs his attention and he quickly answers it with a simple hello.

"Hi, Edward. Jasper told me you invited someone to dinner tomorrow?" Alice asks, her voice full of mischief.

"That I did."

"And you need a highchair? Care to explain, my dear brother-in-law?" He can picture her hand on her hip and laughs out a "nope" just before hanging up.

Leaving the unfinished work for morning, Edward left for home with an overwhelming feeling of anticipation. He couldn't wait to see Bella tomorrow. For the first time he understood how his brother feels every time he heads home to Alice.

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **J**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi!**

 **Sorry it took me a bit to get this chapter written. It's a little longer and hopefully answers most of your questions.**

 **I cannot say thank you enough to The International House of Fanfic aka the ficsisters for rec'ing this story. It's an honor.**

 **Thank you readers! I hope to reply to your reviews soon! I cherish every one.**

 **Melissa beta'd this for me yesterday - thanks for using your newly restored internet service to help me! Love you, hon!**

 **And last but not least, I need to thank my wonderful team of prereaders, who keep me on my toes and give me do much support. Thank you Ipsita, Krystel, and Deb! I couldn't do this without you.**

 **Auntie Bella Chapter 5**

"Welcome, y'all! I'm guessin' that you're here for the finest tacos in Texas." Alice says, smiling as friendly as ever at Bella and the boys, like she does for every customer that walks into Tiny's Tacos.

Jacob answers with a big smile back, an excited "uh huh!", and a tug on Bella's hand.

"You're a cutie pie! Will it just be the three of you?"

Jacob frowns and looks up at his aunt before mumbling, "and Mister Edward," with a sigh.

"Well then it's your lucky night, sir. Your table is ready." She quickly kneels down to his level and whispers in his ear, "You get my very best table next to all the games." She winks at him as she stands and ushers them to the table with Jacob hot on her heels.

The first thing Bella notices is Edward's brother from the shop watching the hostess like the sun rises at her command. He watches her every move, while completely ignoring Edward's attempts at standing to greet her. They wave instead and try to laugh off the awkwardness surrounding them.

"Well, have a seat! Don't just stand there," Alice says, friendly as ever.

Bella lets Jacob in first so he can't escape, sits down at the end, and straps Brady into the highchair.

"This is my brother Jasper." He nods to the man having a silent conversation with the hostess before pointing to the her. "And his wife Alice."

"Hi. It's...um...nice to officially meet you," Bella says with red cheeks and a shaky voice. She's completely overwhelmed and utterly confused, not only is she meeting his family, but she doesn't even know him! What a nightmare, a date not only with nephews who never cooperate but also his family. Could it get any worse?

"And what is your name, young man?" Alice asks sweetly.

In a rush she blurts out, "Oh. I'm sorry. This is Jacob and his brother Brady. I'm their..um caregiver and aunt, Bella."

"Well it's awful nice to meet ya'll. How about I get everyone a drink?"

She takes their drink orders and Bella can't help but giggle at the way Edward is looking at her or the fact that she can't seem to help looking at him. His brother is so intent on focusing on his wife he doesn't seem to notice much else — not Brady babbling or Jacob and Edward pushing a hot wheel back and forth across the table — only her. She drops of there drinks and takes their order before running off to greet new customers, and Jasper watches.

Edward is the first to start a conversation. With an unsteady nervous voice like a teenager he asks, "So, Bella, what do you do other than take care of the boys?"

"Oh, I'm a graphic designer." He nods but doesn't speak, encouraging her to go on. "I specialise in website design at McCarthy Designs."

She takes a sip of her Coke to stall and gather her thoughts. "You work at the shop, right? Do you work on cars, too?"

Jasper smiles at the idea and Edward leans back. "Why don't you answer for me? Looks like you got somethin' to add."

"Edward doesn't work on cars. I am the only one allowed to fix the cars. He would make them much worse. Much worse." He answers without making much eye contact and if feels like he has a lot more to say but is holding back.

"Hey now! Enough of that." They both giggle and Edward rubs his neck. "I ain't that bad."

"Only the two of you work there?" Bella asks as she realizes Jasper is a little different.

"Yes. The garage is ours. I work on the cars and Edward takes care of the customers. He's very good at sales, not fixing cars," Jasper answers in a very serious tone, not noticing his brother's amusement.

"You must really love each other to be able to work together every day."

Just as Jasper opens his mouth to answer, Jacob starts to bounce and abandons his car playing. "I'm hungry! Is dat lady bringing our tacos yet? I want tacos now."

Bella pulls out a book and some crayons from her bag and starts to color with Jacob. "You can eat very soon. I promise. The kind woman who brought you lemonade has a name. It is Alice. You may not call her lady, understood?"

"Yeah." Bella raises an eyebrow at him, to which he rolls his eyes and says, "Yes."

"I like your voice. You have a very nice voice," Jasper announces.

Confusion covers Bella's features as she tries to think of a response. "Thank you? I'm not sure anyone has ever told me that before."

"Jas.." Edward tries to stop and redirect him but fails.

"You sound just like Mama, always patient and loving. Other moms are loud." Jasper makes an awful face at the thought, and Bella nods in understanding. Her step sister was a screamer. She yelled and cursed at the boys constantly and it always grated Bella to see them treated that way. Of course moms lose their tempers and children need discipline, but she was cruel. It made her choke up to know she was doing something right by them, especially when they had so much pain in their pasts.

"My mama was loud." Bella wipes a tear as Jacob's little eyes go wide when he says 'loud'.

The adults go quiet, unsure of what to say to not upset him. Thankfully, Bella sees Alice approaching and starts picking up Jacob's mess to make room for their meals.

He sees her coming to their table and starts yelling loud enough for everyone to hear, "Tacos! Yay tacos! Fank you, Alice!"

"You are so welcome!" She hands everyone their plate and sits down next to Jasper. "You eat up now, alright?"

He nods and digs in, making a mess of himself and the table. They all start to eat and Alice starts talking about her day, their plans for the weekend, the weather, sports, everything. Even Brady is mesmerized by her. He eats whatever Bella puts in his mouth, but never stops watching Alice talk. By the time she stops talking they have all finished their tacos and Edward realizes he's missing out on the chance to really get to know Bella and the boys at all.

"Bella, would it be okay if Jasper and I took Jacob with us to play video games. We'll only be right there." He points behind the booth at the arcade games and has the same pleading hopeful look in his eyes that he did when he asked her to dinner that she can't say no to.

"Of course." She stands to let Jacob out and tells him to behave and sits down to continue listening to Alice. She wonders if maybe Edward is so nervous he's trying to win points with Jacob.

"So. I'm sure you are wondering how on earth Jasper and I ended up together and what his deal is, right?" Alice looks at Bella's shocked expression and waves it off. "I mean anyone would wonder, of course you are. There's nothing wrong with curiosity."

She tells Bella all about the first night she met Jasper. How he came in to eat and didn't look at her and didn't smile or talk much. He was polite and ordered his tacos and watched her work. She noticed it was taking him an awful long time to eat and kept stopping over to check if something was wrong.

"You know he sat there my entire shift. It was one of those ones where your feet ache to your knees and your shoulders sag to the floor. Lord, I was so tired and worn out. I had a really mean witch of a customer yell at me right before we closed so I was all emotional, too. You know what he did?"

Bella shook her head no and leaned forward.

"He told me to sit down and brought me my glass from under the hostess stand. He started bussing tables, which I protested but he insisted. He asked me to tell him all about my day and he listened. Not like most do, to reply or fix the problem, but he just listened to me."

Alice smiles and waves at Jasper. He looks troubled by seeing her teary eyed. "I'm fine, Sugar. Just emotional." He nods and goes back to his game, still glancing over to check on her.

"Lord knows I talk too much, but he says he loves to hear all about my day. Every detail. He asks me little questions too, so I know he's been listenin'." She smiles at Bella and holds her hands. "He is just the kindest soul I've ever met. I'd be so lost without him. He keeps me tethered to this Earth and I keep him in our world. He could get so lost in his own real quick, you know?"

"I think I understand."

"My Jasper is not exactly like you and I. He sees the world in black and white, I think. Emotions are strange to him. He has a real hard time expressing himself and being social." She take a sip of her Coke and squeezes Bella's hands tighter. "He's improved quite a bit from when he was younger and would hardly speak. Years ago they didn't diagnose children like they do nowadays. Had Jasper been born twenty or so years later, Mama would have been told he is on the Autism Spectrum, but as it was she was told he was slow and would never be "normal", she says as she rolls her eyes. "I mean no one is normal as far as I'm concerned! Right?"

"Right."

"So some things he needs to really work at while others, like cars, he just gets. And he gets me."

Bella nods and pulls her hands back. "You two are so blessed to have found each other."

"Oh, Lord! I'm sorry for grabbing you. I get handsy. Sorry." Alice giggles and they both laugh when they see Jasper nodding.

"So. If you don't mind me askin'? How did you come to have these two fine young men in your loving care?"

"Working here I'm sure you hear all the local news. Leah Clearwater was my step-sister."

Alice's face fell the second she heard Leah's name. Everyone had talked about her. She was the wife of Sam Uley, a local man known for always being in trouble with the law.

What a surprise it was when the Chief of Police's step-daughter married a known criminal. Talk was she got pregnant to trap him and had another to try to keep him. Word spread that he was having an affair with a cousin of Leah's, and she was devastated. She left her boys with her family and stole Charlie's gun. She killed Sam and her cousin after catching them in bed together. After calling 911 she shot herself. Leaving her boys orphans.

The families went to war over them. Sam's parents gave up the fight though, when they discovered the boys had no inheritance. Bella had already stepped forward as guardian, knowing Leah's mother was too heartbroken to take the boys.

"I am so very sorry. Is it wrong that I was and am still thankful that you have them?" Alice asks.

"My step-sister was a piece of work." Bella tries to swallow her judgemental thoughts. You aren't supposed to speak ill of the dead, right? Not even when she had dragged their children through town at all hours looking for their father, making a scene at every bar in town until she found him? When they ignored family and never made her babies her priority?

"No need to say more! I know enough, dear." Alice gives her a sad smile and then suddenly claps her hands together. "How about we all go to the park down the block? Maybe you and Edward can get a chance to talk and I can get my hands on this chubby little guy!"

She tickles Brady who has been slobbering all over his toys and he reaches for her. "That would be really nice but don't you have to work?" Bella asks as she packs up the diaper bag.

"No, ma'am. This is my family's place, they know I'll only work until Jasper is off work. Jess is here and can handle closing up."

"Oh, okay then."

Bella takes Jacob to the bathroom, after promising he can play at the park if he goes.

"Is Mister Edward and his friend coming to da park? I like them." He asks as they wash his hands

"Oh, you do?" She asks with a smile.

"Ah ha. They're fun!"

"I bet they think you're fun, too. Thanks for behaving."

They walk out of the bathroom and Jacob runs to grab Edward's hand, but doesn't let go of Bella's.

They smile at each other and blush, nervous as teenagers out on a first date.

"Sorry, this wasn't very traditional but I don't think we are either." He ducks and shakes his head. "I just mean we both have others to think of, you know?"

"I get it. Thanks for letting me get to meet your brother and Alice. They are wonderful."

"So is this little guy who I promised we would swing between us." Jacob jumps at the word and holds his feet up as they swing him back and forth.

Bella keeps her eyes on Brady in Alice's arms and can't help glancing over at Edward every couple seconds. The way he's watching her makes it easy to let go of all her insecurities and worries. He knew from the beginning that she's a single working mom but wasn't scared away. If this was purely about sex he surely wouldn't have bothered to introduce her to Alice or Jasper. He must genuinely be interested in her and that thought is as terrifying as it is exhilarating.

"What did you like to do for fun before these two?" He asks, choosing his words carefully.

"Wow. It feels like ages ago. Um...I worked. A lot," she says as she pushes her hair behind her ear, unsure of how much to share about how lonely she was. "I went out for food and drinks with friends from work. I watched R rated movies and had beer in my fridge." The longing in her eyes makes Edward laugh and vow to make sure she gets to watch some adult movies soon.

He looks at her and says, ""Movies and beer sound pretty good to me," making his intentions clear.

"Yeah, they do," she says back, not noticing Jacob staring up at the two of them.

"I wike Cars! Can we watch Cars?"

"Sure. Maybe I can bring the popcorn," Edward says like he's talking to one of his buddies instead of a two and a half year old.

Jacob drops both their hands once they get to the park and he's off, running from slides, to the swings, to the monkey bars. In the first ten minutes they lose sight of him twice and are thankful Jasper is better at finding him than they are.

"Holy shit. I had no idea going to the park was equivalent to an hour long heart attack." Edward says with his hands on his knees while trying to catch his breath. "This is madness! How are you supposed to make sure they don't get hurt or lost or stolen?"

"Please tell me when you figure it out! This is life with these two, madness with lots of hugs, love, and diapers mixed in."

"The hugs and love part sounds awesome. I ain't gettin' near the diapers, though." He gives her his best crooked smile and she lifts her eyebrow at him. How could this kind and handsome man not have enough love in his life?

They sit next to Alice on a bench and watch as Jacob chases Jasper. "So what do you do for fun?"

"My dear brother-in-law has no idea how to have fun." Alice hands Brady to Bella before he hurts himself reaching for her. She straightens her clothes, fixes her hair, and with a huff continues. "He works extra hours doing the business taxes, volunteers for church stuff, eats out because he can't cook, and rarely dates." He opens his mouth but she shushes him. "And when he does date it's awful. They're judgey little," she cups the baby's ears, "bitches. To put it nicely."

"Hey Edward, I don't think Alice liked your exes." Bella says as she makes faces at Brady to keep him happy.

"Yeah well, neither did I." He joins in smiling at the baby.

Across the park, Jasper watches the three of them distorting their faces and acting like goons. He looks at Jacob for an explanation, but he simply shrugs and takes his hand. Jasper looks down at their joined hands and mimiks Jacob's shrug. He follows him over to the bench and looks confused until Jacob explains. "Adults'll do anyfing to keep a baby from cryin'."

"Oh. I don't like crying babies either. They're loud."

"Yeah, day are. Can you play wif me some more?"

"Yes." They go back to playing and are soon joined by Alice.

"So, I don't know your schedule but maybe we could exchange numbers and you can let me know what night works for you to watch Cars?" Edward says in a rush as he plays peek-a-boo with Brady.

"You're willing to come watch kid's movies? You really are bored!"

Edward waits until she looks at him and says with sincerity, "No. I just really like you."

Bella swallows and sits up straighter under his watchful stare. "Well in that case, how about tomorrow?"

 **Thank you for reading!**

 **Be sure to read all the Red Eyed Edward entries and vote for your favories! There are some awesome entries! The creativity of each one blew me away.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi!**

 **Thank you, Lost In Fanfiction and everyone who has shared and rec'd this fic. It means the world to me! I treasure each and every one of your reviews, I'll reply soon. I promise.**

 **Thank you Melissa for betaing this so quickly. I'm so glad class was boring last night!**

 **Ipsita and Deb were kind enough to pre-read this for me. Thank you ladies for keeping me on the right track and catching my mistakes. Lovelybrutal is my sounding board - thanks, girl. For everything.**

 **Myheroin is in a great deal of pain and struggling with her health, please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you!**

 **Twilight belongs to SM. All mistakes are mine.**

 **Auntie Bella and His Brother's Keeper- Chapter 6**

Knowing he would be seeing her the next day is the only reason he could walk away from her Friday. He didn't want their first kiss or even their first hug to be under everyone's watchful eyes. They exchanged numbers and he helped her get the boys to her car. He simply kissed her hand and said goodnight. In all her life, Bella had never felt so turned on, disappointed, and flattered. She drove home in a haze once again, and got two very sleepy boys ready for bed.

It hits her while sitting on the couch once they were asleep that Edward would be in her apartment in less than twenty-four hours. Her cleaning frenzy began and didn't stop until the middle of the night once every inch of her place was sparkling.

"Why do I need to wear my jammies now? It's not dark outside," Jacob says with a whine as he jumps up and down.

"Because we're going to have a movie night! We'll watch Cars and eat popcorn. This way you won't have to change later." Bella finishes drying a freshly bathed Jacob and helps him get his arms in the right holes of his pajama shirt.

"Den why are you wearing normal clothes and shiny stuff on your lips?"

Heat rushes to her cheeks and she fights to talk normally. "You invited Edward to watch Cars with you, remember?" He nods as she fusses with his shirt. "Well, he's coming over soon and I can't let him see me in my pajamas like you can."

His little brows knit together. "Oh." He looks up at her, then at himself and Brady sitting next to him in matching pjs. "That's otay. We're more comfier!"

.

She hugs him tight and kisses his cheek, thankful he didn't put up a fight for a change. "You sure are!"

She's tempted to put on something that hides her figure better or looks dressier, but knows it would be pointless. The way Edward showed her his life last night makes her need to do the same for him. She needs to wear sweats and a tshirt and and not fuss over if every toy is in its proper place. Both of their lives are...complicated and neither of them have time to spend in a relationship based on untruths.

The door buzzer goes off as she puts Brady in his exersaucer and Jacob runs for the door. "Jacob."

"I know," he turns to her and rolls his eyes,"don't let nobody in wifout you."

Bella chuckles, presses the button to unlock the main door, and ruffles his hair. "Thank you for listening."

She unlocks the deadbolt and opens the door. Jacob darts into the hallway to watch for their guest and the way his little face lights up is all the proof she needs to know Jacob has let go of his anger at Edward.

"Auntie Bella did you tell him he had to bring his own stuff, like mama used to?"

"His own stuff? What on earth?" Bella peeks into the hallway and sees Edward carrying grocery bags in one hand and a six pack in the other. But not just any six pack — it's Lone Star.

Her smile gets bigger as she sees the shirt he's wearing. "What are you trying to butter me up for, Edward?" she asks as she takes the beer from his hand to put it in the fridge. He high-fives Jake and promises to come play in a minute.

He raises an eyebrow and gives her his best smirk as he walks into her small kitchen. "I ain't butterin' anything but the popcorn. This," he points to his shirt, "is a test."

"So, if I drink our national beer and own a matching _come and get it_ shirt, I pass?" She asks as she stands next to him to help empty the bags he brought.

His body shakes with laughter as he nods and places boxes of microwave popcorn, along with every shakeable topping they had at the store, on the counter.

"Seriously? I have a bag of kernels to pop and butter. Do you eat...buttermilk ranch popcorn?" Bella's face twists in disgust as she reads over all the labels.

"No. But kids eat weird stuff, right?"

She looks up at his confusion and has to stop herself from kissing his cheek. His boyish innocence and eagerness to please is almost too much. How will she ever let him go home tonight?

"You are simply stunning when you smile," he tells her and resists the urge to lean down to kiss her, knowing Jacob is watching their every move.

"Come play cars wif me!" He starts to jump up and down but at Bella's stern look he stops and adds, "Please?"

"Go on. I'll finish up in here. Thank you." She looks up at him again. "For everything."

"Nah. Thanks for having me over. This is lookin' to be the most fun I've had in ages."

Fighting his little eyelids to stay open, Jacob watches the end of his movie wedged between Bella and Edward on the couch. Brady is already fast asleep in Bella's arms, having lost his battle to stay awake while finishing up his bottle. She nudges Jacob so he leans into Edward's side so she can get the baby to bed without waking anyone.

The site of Edward's big protective hand resting on Jacob's shoulder nearly makes her cry. He's never had a man show him such love and compassion, other than her father. Charlie's been so busy with work and a broken hearted wife, that they don't see him much. He checks on Bella every day through text messages and she knows he cares, but this is what Jacob needs. This is the example of how to be a man he needs in his life.

She lays Brady in his crib and covers him up. She covers her mouth to not yell when she is bumped unexpectedly by Edward carrying her other baby to bed.

Edward watches as she covers him up in his little toddler bed and kisses the top of his head. She points to the door and follows him out, quietly shutting it behind them.

"Thank you for carrying him in. You didn't have to do that." She says as she sits back down on the couch.

"It's the least I could do."

Edward heads to the fridge and returns with a beer for each of them and a bag of movies from Redbox. He uses the opener on his keys to open their bottles and hands her the caps.

"You first," he says.

She studies the riddles and hands them back, while taking a sip. "I forgot how good this was. It's even cold enough."

"It has to be cold. You can't drink any other way." He says and hands her the bag. "Pick a movie. I rented everything that was new and rated R."

She puts her beer down and turns to him, making the couch squeak. "You know, this may just be the best date of my entire life. Thank you."

"Would you believe me if I said it is mine, too?" The truth of his statement is clear to her. She bites her lip and nods, willing him to lean over and kiss her. Wishing with all she has that this attraction is more than superficial. That once they kiss they won't ever want to stop.

He sets his bottle down without taking his eyes off her. Gently he takes her hand and kisses it, hoping he's not misunderstanding her. He looks up for permission and she places her hand on his jaw, pulling him toward her. His long fingers glide under her hair to the back of her neck, and his brushes her cheek with his thumb.

Their eyes close and Bella leans forward. Kissing him softly on the lips she moves closer to him as he does to her. He tilts his head slowly and kisses her deeper, rougher, until she presses her body to his and wraps her arms around his neck.

He places his hand on her lower back and encourages her to not back away, to never stop. He moves from her lips and kisses her jaw, down her neck, along her ear, the hollow of her throat, all the while cherishing each of her little moans and whimpers.

She knows how simple it would be to go farther. To pull his shirt over his head and her pants over her hips, but she wants more for them than one night and morning regrets.

He pulls back, sensing her unease, breathing heavy and unable to let go of her.

"I reckon we better finish these beers before they get warm." She nods and straightens her shirt.

"Lord knows it's gonna take all the cold water in Texas for me to behave." He shakes his head as she laughs, only making him groan louder as he watches her chest.

"I'm serious!"

"I know! Thank God water is included in the rent." She winks, nearly undoing his resolve.

"Put a movie in to distract us, please."

She chooses an action movie, hoping he'll like it and sits down next to him, where he's waiting with his arm open along the back of the couch. She snuggles in with her beer in hand and leans her head on his shoulder.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asks softly to which she says, "sure." Thinking it will be if she figured out those bottle cap riddles, which she didn't.

"Are you going to let the boys call you mom eventually?"

He feels her body stiffen and hopes he hasn't overstepped. "I don't know. I think of them as my sons already, I nearly always have. Leah dropped them off here all the time. I didn't ask questions,I just wanted to know they were safe."

He rests his cheek against her head when he hears her start to cry. "I've always longed for the day I'd have a child and they'd call me mama. It almost feels like I'm cheating with these two but of course I want them to think of me as their mom."

"Oh, Bella. I'm sure they do. I just wondered why they didn't already or if you were against it."

Bella wipes her eyes and laces her fingers through his. "I think they have to do it on their own for it to be okay. For my heart to be okay with it."

"I understand." He pulls her tighter against his side and keeps his head resting on hers.

Watching fast paced car chases slowly saps Edward's energy and he holds her tighter as he falls asleep, softly snoring.

Bella considers waking him but only for a moment. She decides she'd much rather join him in slumber and wake him with pancakes in the morning. Maybe it was selfish and deceptive on her part but it simply felt to good to be near him. She couldn't let him go.

 **Thanks for reading! I hope this little bit of fluff brighten your day.**

 **Go check out the Red-Eyed Edward entries if you haven't already! Blood and Water, The Extant, Diary of a Madman, The Last Word, The Boy with a Broken Halo, and Vengeful Intentions are some of my favorites!**

 **Oh! Be sure to wish Packy Pie aka Little Lovely a Happy Birthday!**

 **Love,**

 **J**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi! Sorry this took so long. Thank you for your patience and all your lovely reviews!**

 **Big thanks to my girls, ipsita, myheroin, and rtp4me, for prereading and assuring me that this doesn't suck. Love you!**

 **Melissa was kind enough to beta this for me. Thanks for squeezing me in, honey!**

 **Twilight belongs to SM. All mistakes are mine.**

 **Chapter 7:**

With a pop, snap, and the loudest yawn Bella has ever heard, Edward wakes up. He's stretching, wiping his face, and looking around her room, confusion clear on his face.

"Good morning," she says from the doorway, taking a break from cooking to greet him.

Edward sits up, rubbing his eyes and yawning again. "Mornin'."

His short, clipped tone, makes Bella take a step back and question if this is the same sweet guy who woke her up last night so they could sleep in her bed with his arms around her and her head on his chest. The man who played with her hair and kissed her forehead while she fell back to sleep.

She had woken up earlier and dragged herself away from him to get breakfast started and have some one-on-one time with Brady. Bacon and sausage were in the microwave staying warm and she was just about to start the pancakes when she heard him rousing. But now Bella is thinking maybe he watched her sleep and is having second thoughts. Maybe his arms not reaching all the way around her wasn't okay in the daylight.

Squinting against the sunlight he can see her shoulders slumped forward and the frown on her face. Mumbling curse words under his breath, he sits up straighter and tosses the blanket off.

"I should have warned you that I hate mornings." Finally standing up, he groans and shuffles over to her. Kissing the top of her head, he tells her in a sincere yet gruff voice, "I'm an ass. Sorry." He quickly walks to the bathroom, closing the door behind himself and leaving Bella confused.

She goes back into the kitchen and starts making pancakes. She pours batter and flips them once they have bubbled enough times, wondering where this leaves them. He was so angry and short with her, surely this isn't the wonderful morning she'd envisioned or life for that matter. Just minutes before she was daydreaming of being Edward's wife, of having his babies and raising the boys together. He was so sweet to them and after knowing how amazing it was to kiss him, she wanted more. She needed more. Neither of them were too naive or young, so why wait? They could be married in months, weeks even. With a sigh she pours more batter into the pan and listens to Jacob's little voice yell good morning.

Bella quickly yells back and tells him to come out of his room. "I'm in the kitchen, sweetie!"

Leah had taught him to not leave his room without her okay. God knows what she was doing that she didn't want him to see. It was a habit for Jacob to get permission and he didn't like it any other way. Bella had tried to leave his door open and he cried that it had to be closed for him to be safe, so she let it go. Every morning he yelled from his room and she answered with where she was in the apartment.

He comes out of his room and first stops to kiss his brother and then runs to the kitchen to give Bella a hug. "Let me knock on the door before you go to the potty, okay? Mr. Edward might still be in there."

Wide-eyed he asks, "he's been in there since last night?"

Bella giggles and shakes her head no. "Since this morning, silly boy."

Jacob looks at her, his forehead wrinkles, like he knows this means something but he's not sure what.

"Are you looking for me?" A smiling, fresh-faced Edward asks. He must have washed up in the sink and let his bad attitude run down the drain. Here was the smiling, happy man she knew.

"Yep." Jacob nods and purses his lips together.

"Did Granddad Charlie teach you that look?" Bella asks.

Jacob nods and continues to stare down their guest.

"No Shit! Chief Charlie Swan is your dad?" Edward covers his mouth and tells Jacob sorry for swearing, while staring at Bella.

She nods and laughs that of all things her dad has done with his life, he is best known for the way he stares you down. It's like magic truth serum. You feel an overwhelming need to reveal everything to him. Bella wonders when he taught Jacob that he should use that on any guy Bella brings home, and smiles knowing he's always watching out for her.

"Did he tell you to bring your car to me by chance?" The mischief is clear in Edward's eyes, like he just figured out a secret plan.

"Well, not out of the blue. I mean, I asked him where to go and he suggested you. Why?"

Bella pours Jacob a sippy cup of milk and ushers him into the living room while waiting for an answer. Edward is leaning his back against the counter top with his legs stretched out before him, pondering and looking far too handsome.

"We worked on his cruiser not too long ago and he was saying how I needed to find a nice girl and settle down. How I was good people. And now here we are."

"Here we are." She says matter-of-factly and pours another circle of batter, still confused over this morning and now wondering if her dad purposely broke her car to get her to meet a guy.

"Hey. Is this about earlier?"

She can feel him staring at her profile. Her face gets hot, her eyes water, and her throat feels ready to close. Flipping the pancake, she doesn't look at him but answers. "Yeah. I...uh...I don't know what to make of that. I understand not everyone likes mornings, hell I don't. But you were like a whole different person." She glances over at him and sees how hurt he looks. How he frowns and crosses his arms, not in anger but almost to protect himself.

"I am a different person without my meds." Bella turns to him and he takes her hands. "I should have told you sooner that I live with clinical depression. There isn't a real easy way to bring it up and I'm sorry for not finding a way."

Edward explains that he has to take his meds first thing every morning and that by the time he is dressed and cleaned up for the day he's himself again. Not the miserable person who could lay in bed forever feeling worthless. "I know my depression is under control but it wasn't fair of me to not tell you. I'm so sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry. I was just so startled. Going from dreaming about being with you forever and then that." She shakes her head and hugs him tight, tucking her head under his chin.

"Daydreaming, huh?" He feels her pull away and hugs her tighter. "Yeah, you totally said that out loud and I'm so sorry for making you question it. Forever sounds really good to me too."

He tilts his head as he leans down and captures her lips. They join in soft, chaste kisses laced with thoughts of forever and an understanding he never experienced before.

"Auntie Bella, are you gonna feed us?" Jacob yells from the couch as he watches Paw Patrol, unaware of the moment he is interrupting.

"Oh, crap. I need to feed those two." They break apart and Edward helps her get their plates ready and feed the boys.

He joins her back in the kitchen and they fix their plates and sit at the counter side by side.

"This is amazing, Bella. Thank you so much for going to all the trouble of cooking," he says as he shovels another bite. "I would have been happy with a bowl of cereal."

"No big deal," she says with a shrug. "It's fun to cook something other than mac 'n cheese for a change."

"I have an idea. How about I watch the boys so you can get some work done and then I'll take y'all to lunch?"

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

"It's the least I can do." Taking the last bite of his food he mumbles, "and you can meet my parents."

She elbows him in the side in jest and smiles. "Think you can just sneak that by me, do you?"

"No. But you owe me for not disclosing who your father is."

"Is that so?" She places her hand on her hip and raises an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah. The chief is...intimidating," he says quietly, trying not to sound scared.

"And your mom and dad ?"

Edward traces her jaw with his finger and looks so serious, "They'll love you. I know it."

With a quick kiss to her cheek, he stands, takes their plates to the kitchen, and picks Brady up from his Pac 'n Play.

He sits next to Jacob and asks thoughtfully, "You think we can hang out while Auntie gets some work done?"

"Yeah. We stayin' here, right?"

"Sure thing. She'll be here, too." Edward watches as Jacob's eyes light with excitement and knows he's found the right woman. She gives these two kids so much unconditional love. She makes them feel so safe just being near her. He wants nothing more than to come alongside her. To be her rock and to have her be his. To be her partner in everything...forever.

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **Only one regular chapter and an epilogue left. The next chapter should be up soon.**

 **Love,**

 **J**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi! Thank you for your patience and love for these characters! It's a beautiful thing to see.**

 **Ipsita and rtp4me really helped me straighten this chapter out. It would suck without them. Thank you, ladies! Myheroin is an awesome encourager and comma catcher :) Thank you, sweetie!**

 **Melissa edited this for me and made it pretty. Thank you, dearest for everything**

 **Sm owns Twilight. All mistakes are mine.**

"Hey. You have to be careful around your little brother. No throwing cars, Jacob."

 _WHACK_

A Hot Wheels car hits the wall, and Edward feels like he's being tested by a toddler in a military drill to see how long it takes before he snaps. "Bella! How do you discipline Jacob?" Edward yells out, while firmly holding Jacob's throwing hand. He starts to thrash and kick with all his thirty pounds of might, but Edward doesn't flinch. He moves away from where Brady is playing with blocks so he doesn't get hurt in his brother's meltdown, but doesn't react.

"Don't beat me! Don't beat me!"

Bella opens her bedroom door and points to the corner. "He goes in time-out for three minutes. Then we talk about what he did wrong and he has to apologise. And I get the car because he knows throwing them is not allowed."

Jacob stops flailing and walks to the corner, kicking everything in his path and stomping the whole way.

"I set a timer and watch him. He'll sneak out if you turn your back."

"I think I can handle that. Sorry we interrupted you."

Bella stares at Edward and smiles. She may not have asked for help and didn't go looking for it, but having him here is pure bliss. Not only does she have a partner, but it was good for the boys to have someone else to guide them, too.

Edward wraps his arm around her as they watch Jacob kick and pout. "Mama would have whipped my ass but I didn't want to scare him or overstep my bounds."

"Thank you for that. I guess I better get us ready to go meet her, huh?"

Edward nods but doesn't look away from the future quarterback, determined to see his punishment through and get off to a good start.

Edward pulls up to a rustic ranch house with a wrap around porch and honks the horn. A couple minutes later a taller gray haired gentleman walks out the front door, waving them in. They get out and he yells "Hi, y'all! It's safe to enter. Mama locked up the beasts."

"The beasts?" Bella asks.

"Mama and Dad raise dogs and they can be a little intimidating." Edward helps her get the boys out of the car and grabs the diaper bag.

"I wike dogs! Can I pet one, mister?" He asks with his hand shielding his eyes from the sun but still squinting.

The man kneels down level. "Of course you can, little man. My name is Carlisle Cullen, but you can call me Papa C. And you must be Brady, right?"

"No!" He shakes his head. "Dat's Brady, my brother. I'm Jacob, and dat is my Auntie Belwa."

Carlisle puts his hand out and Jacob quickly grabs it to shake. "It's very nice to meet you, Jacob. My son Jasper really had fun with you."

"He's the bestest! I wike Mister Jasper." Jacob is all smiles as Carlisle stands up to shake Bella and Brady's hands. He pats Edward on the back a few times, and it reminds Bella of her own dad. He's not very affectionate but he would squeeze her hand or put his arm around her shoulders to let her know he was proud of her and that she was doing the right thing.

"Would you please bring 'em in off of the porch, Carlisle? We may be country folk, but we are polite country folk."

"Alright, better listen and get on in," Carlisle shuts the door behind them and heads in the direction the barking and howling is coming from. Edward places the diaper bag on the dining room table and ushers them into the kitchen.

He goes straight to the heavy woman at the stove and kisses her cheek. She turns around, wiping her hands on her apron, and claps the minute she sees Bella. "Mama, I'd like you to meet Bella, Jacob, and Brady."

"Why hello, I'm Mama C. It's awful nice to meet y'all. Do you eat cornbread, Jacob?"

"No, ma'am. I wike regular bread."

Hand on her full hip she grins at him. "Your mama must be a fine woman to raise such a polite and honest young man. How's about she helps me makes some rolls and you can go play with the men?"

"My mama can't help cause she's in heaven. But I wike to play cars wif Mister Edward! Can I see your doggies?"

"My mama is in heaven, too. It's real hard. But mamas are the people who love us, feed us, keep us safe and in-line. Not just the ones who carried us in their bellies, right?"

"Dey are?" Head tilted to the side he waits for her to answer.

"Of course. Now you run along and play. Edward, please tell your father to be careful bringing them dogs around the baby."

Bella holds onto Brady tighter and takes a step back from Edward.

"Oh, honey! I don't mean to scare you. They don't mean no harm. They just forget how big they are." She takes the baby out of her arms talking to him and making faces as she hands him off to Edward. Mama takes Bella's hand and leads her over to the counter. A pair of dogs that look more like horses walk into the kitchen but are quickly told to get out. They give the room a couple more sniffs but turn and slowly wander back in the direction Edward went.

"Now. I am more than capable of making your boy some rolls but us ladies need to take a break and get a chance to chat without anyone else listenin'." She puts a ball of already risen dough out, flours the counter and a rolling pin, and hands it to Bella. As she starts to roll out the dough, Mama gets out a glass to cut out the rolls."Cooking is a great excuse to get them to care for the kids. Men are like dogs, they'll do anything for a meal."

"They are! I made Edward pancakes, and you would have thought I saved his life, the way he went on."

"Now. This may seem very forward of me, but I don't pull no punches." Mama leans one hip against the counter and waits for Bella to look at her."Did my boy tell you his struggles? 'Cause it ain't something that can be ignored."

"Yes, ma'am. He told me this morning, but I think only because his mood was so off and he knew I was concerned." Bella's cheeks turn red as she realizes she just told Edward's mother that he woke up with her. "Oh! Please don't think anything happened. It was late and he fell asleep and -"

Laughter fills the room and Mama pats her hand. "Honey, y'all are adults. I just need you to know that if you are going to be part of his life, his depression will be part of yours. You'll need to call him out on it if he isn't acting himself, if he tries to pull away and his sweet smile starts to fade."

She walks over to the stove to stir all that is cooking and explains how it took a long time for them to figure out what was going on with her son. How they thought maybe he was jealous of the attention Jasper received, or he was just lonely. They finally got him to a counselor that helped and worked with him to find the right medication. It wasn't a miracle but it helped him live day to day without being pulled under. "It keeps him from drowning, but we have to watch that he doesn't start to go under. Maybe one day his brain will cooperate and he can be done with the meds, but today isn't that day."

"I understand. I ain't one to keep my mouth shut and I want the best for him. Thank you for telling me."

"Forgive me if I drop to my knees at some point and thank the sweet Lord for you. My son finally brought home a girl with a heart as big as his, some meat on her bones, and a head on her shoulders!"

"Hey now! Don't y'all be gangin' up on the skinny chick." Alice says as she walks into the kitchen.

"There's my girl!" Mama and Alice hug and start talking about how Jasper has been. Mama listens intently in a way that shows Bella she trusts Alice, but needs to know for herself how he is.

Bella is finishing the rolls when she hears Brady start to cry. She washes the flour off her hands and runs to find him.

"I don't know why he's so upset. He's been okay, chewing on this thing." Brady leans out of Edward's arms to get to Bella and she hugs him tight.

"He seemed a little off this morning but didn't feel hot. Has he been pulling his ears?"

Edward shrugs. He reaches to pat Brady's back and he starts to cry harder. "It's not your fault. He's not used to being with anyone but me and I think he must be getting a new tooth."

She rests her cheek on his head and makes a shushing sound until he calms down.

"Where did Mr. Jasper go? I want to play more cars wif him." Jacob looks at the adults and seems horribly disappointed that they don't seem to know.

"Mama, Jasper with you?" Edward yells, making Brady wail again.

"Oh, shit. Sorry."

Bella shakes her head, silently telling him it's okay and keeps bouncing and shushing as Mama and Alice hurry out of the kitchen.

Carlisle gets the dogs ready to help in the search as Mama gives out instructions for Edward and Jacob to check the house and for Bella to stay where she is in case he comes home.

Edward leans in to kiss Bella's forehead and says low enough that Jacob can't hear. "Jasper must have been scared by the crying and took off. We'll find him. We always do."

An hour later, Jasper walks through the front door and stares at Bella. They both freeze in fear of scaring the other.

"I'm glad you came back. Sorry Brady scared you."

Jasper looks around the house, searching for a more familiar face. Squeezing his eyes shut tight, he says in a low fearful voice, "Did I...did I hurt him?"

"No. No, Jasper. He isn't crying because anyone hurt him. He's getting a new tooth, I think, so his gums are sore and he feels most comfortable with me. Did you think this was your fault?" Bella keeps bouncing and shushing as she talks while making sure her voice stays calm and even to soothe both Brady and Jasper.

Jasper nods and flinches when he hears Edward's voice yelling for him in the attic.

"I promise you did nothing wrong. Babies cry a lot simply because they have no other way to communicate. I'm sorry that makes you nervous. Is there some way I can help? Other than keeping him happy, of course?"

"No. No, Bella. You keepin' him happy will do just fine. You just keep him happy, okay? Keep him happy." Jasper continues to look around the room like he's ready to run again.

"I try very hard to keep him happy and would never make him cry on purpose. Why don't you have a seat, okay?"

Jasper wrings his hands together and paces around the room before finally sitting on the couch.

"I didn't hurt him. I didn't hurt the baby."

"No, you didn't. Even if he cries again, I promise it is not your fault and he is okay, he just has a toothache."

"And. And he can't let you know." Jasper nods and mumbles to himself. Bella recognizes that he is trying to process what she told him and stays quiet but doesn't leave the room.

They both look up at the sound of Jacob running into the room. "Mister Jasper! You're back! You're back! Can we play now or are you in trouble for goin' outside wifout tellin' anybody?"

"Jasper is not a little boy like you are, honey. He isn't in trouble. He might be tired from his walk, though."

"I'm okay. I'm okay. Did Edward find my old cars for you?"

"He did! Lookie!"

Still looking rattled, Jasper starts to build a racetrack for Jacob to play with.

"You are amazing," Edward says into her ear as he wraps his arm around her shoulder.

"Is he okay? Did I mess up? Did you let your family know he's back?"

Edward pulls her against his chest tighter and assures her that she did perfect. Jasper has never recovered so quickly and that everyone was on their way back.

"Are you sure you're real and I'm not dreaming?" He asks.

Bella turns her face to kiss his lips. "I'm real if you are."

They join in another kiss that is quickly interrupted by his family's return.

"I'm starving! Is food almost ready, Mama?" Carlisle asks. He pats Edward's shoulder again and thanks Bella. "You did good, sweetheart, real good."

"I'll go help set the table since your arms are full. You want to get the boys ready?"

In a flurry of movement and people, the table gets set, they finish cooking, hands are washed, and everyone grabs a seat.

Carlisle bows his head and everyone at the table joins hands. "Lord thank you this meal and the hands that prepared it. Thank you for my sons and the amazing women you have brought into their lives. In Jesus' name. Amen."

"Amen! Let's eat!" Jacob yells as he grabs a roll from the basket in front of him.

Bella raises an eyebrow at him and he looks around to see what he did wrong. Seeing everyone filling their plates and passing food, he picks up the basket with both hands and turns to her and asks sweet as ever, "you want one?"

Bella ruffles his hair and they both laugh. "Thank you, silly boy. Now mind your manners, okay?"

"Okay." He bounces in his seat and waits for her to fill his plate. "I fink maybe me and Brady should call you Mama Belwa. 'Cause you do all dat stuff Mister Edward's Mama said." He keeps bouncing, shoves half a roll into his mouth, and starts making a big show of chewing so he doesn't get yelled at for taking too big of a bite.

Edward grabs her hand under the table to let her know it's okay and that he's not going anywhere. Bella chokes down her tears and forces a smile, "if that's what you want."

"It is." His little legs keep going up and down like nothing has happened. Completely unaware of how he's just made her heart soar.

They eat and chat, enjoying each others company and the amazing meal. They boys all start cleaning up and Mama hands Bella a fresh glass of iced tea. "They'll finish up. Let's go enjoy the nice afternoon on the porch."

"Really?"

"Really. I cooked in there for hours. Least they can do is some dishes."

Sitting on the porch swing, she gets Brady to smile at her and takes him from Bella's arms.

"He's adorable. Now, I know it's early on, but I hope in time to be able to watch the boys for you. Us mamas need to stick together and take a break now and then, you know?"

"I do. I really do. Thank you for having us today and for treating us like family."

Edward steps onto the porch and sees Bella in tears again. "You okay? Is Mama telling you what a horrible kid I was and scarin' you off so soon?"

"No! You were bad?"

"He was determined to be his brother's defender. Ain't a bad bone in his body." Mama pats Bella's knee and tells her to go on.

They all toss a football around the yard while Mama watches with Brady from the swing. After a long emotion filled day, it doesn't take long before Jacob needs a nap. They gather all the boys' things and say their goodbyes.

"Y'all need to give me enough notice to find a dress before you get hitched, alright?" Mama says with a wink as she walks by her son.

"In that case, you better start lookin', Mama." Edward says, looking at Bella across the yard talking to his father.

"Oh, really?" Mama asks, turning around to see his expression. "She's exactly the kind of woman I've always dreamed of for you. But you aren't with her just because she's a single mom who could use some help, are you?" Her voice is just loud enough that he can hear and her finger is pointed right at him, so he knows to listen up. "You have to want her in a way a man desires a woman, not to save her. She doesn't need saving, she needs loved. There has to be that spark."

"I know, Mama. I'm not a kid."

"You really think she'll say yes so soon?" she asks as she watches Bella approach. She tries to signal him of her being in hearing distance but he isn't having it.

"I don't just think she'll say yes, I know it. I have no doubt that when I get down on one knee, take her hand, and ask her to be my partner in everything this world throws our way, she'll say yes."

"Is that so?" Bella asks him, realizing she interrupted a very serious conversation.

"I just remember something I need to tell Carlisle. Don't you mind me."

Edward pulls her into a hug as Mama hurries off to give them some privacy. "Forever with you sounds too good to wait for. I don't want to dream about it. I want to start living it. Don't you?"

Bella can't answer with words, but manages to nod while wiping tears from her cheeks.

"Yeah?" He smiles at her.

"Absolutely," she says back, all smiles and tears.

"Mister Jasper, why is Belwa crying, again?"

Jasper looks at her, his brother, and back at Jacob. "Maybe she doesn't have the words to say how happy she is."

"Oh. Happy 'bout what?"

"I think Edward needs her like I need Alice. They go together with you and your brother now. You four will be like me and Alice."

"Will you be my brother, too?" Jacob jumps up and down, too excited to be still.

"No. I'm Edward's brother. Edward is my brother. I would be your uncle."

"Great! I never had one of dose!"

Jasper pats his head like he's seen Bella do and smiles at Alice who has been listening to the two of them.

He gives her a concerned look when he sees her crying, but she quickly smiles.

"I hope they figure out how to use their words soon," he tells Jacob.

"Me, too."

 **Thank you for reading! I hope to have the epi up in a week.**

 **Love,**

 **J**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you for reading, reviewing, pimping, and sharing this little fluffy story! I'm shocked and honored.**

 **Melissa was kind enough to edit this super fast tonight. Thank you so much, sweetie. For everything!**

 **Ipsita, myheroin, rtp4me - my girls - THANK YOU!**

 **And last but certainly not least, Happy Birthday, Amanda. Thank you for trusting me with this. I hope I did your idea justice. Love you!**

 **SM owns twilight. I own any and all mistakes.**

 _ **about two years later...**_

"Have I thanked you enough times yet, Sue?" Bella asks as she hugs her step-mom goodbye. "I don't think we could survive without you and Edward's mom."

Sue hugs her back and pats her cheek. "You did so much on your own, for so long, it's the least I can do."

"Mama! Come play with me while the baby is sleeping, please!" Jacob yells.

Bella sighs and closes the door. Looking at the clock, she realizes Edward will be home within the hour and breathes a little easier. She can survive an hour by herself with four kids, right?

Getting married a month after your first date may not be traditional, but that's exactly what Bella and Edward did. They had decided to wait until they were married to make love and nearly combusted in those few short weeks.

Charlie and Sue took the boys for the weekend after the wedding so that they could move Bella into Edward's house and have some time to themselves. A chance to get to know each other as man and wife without the constant worry of little ears hearing, or eyes seeing what they shouldn't.

Neither of them were virgins but their inexperience had them on edge. However, their nervous energy was quickly replaced with lust and want once they were alone for the first time. All Bella's doubts and fears about her body melted away as Edward caressed every inch of her. He didn't avoid her tummy or cellulite dimpled thighs. He loved all of her and made sure she knew it.

Nine short months later, Rachel was born much to everyone's delight. Around the same time the adoption went through, officially making Jacob and Brady Edward's sons. They were thrilled to be a family of five, and began to slowly settle into a routine. Edward worked during the day, but watched the kids Saturday mornings to give Bella time to work or have some time to herself.

One of the biggest changes happened when they moved into Edward's and he announced there were some rules. One was that their bedroom door didn't have to be closed and that they didn't need permission to get out of bed in the morning.

Edward knew he needed to stick pretty close to his routine and it would be much easier with the boys not already scared of leaving their room, and he was committed to seeing them conquer their fear. It took a week of him sleeping in the doorway, with the door wide open, for Jacob to accept the change. He still preferred it shut and would peak out before opening it all the way, but he no longer announced himself. His young age helped him move on and feel at home quickly.

Bella was so worried about moving them again, but once the boys saw their new backyard and swingset, all her fears were gone. They were all ready to start over and Edward was thrilled to bring them home. He was excited about being a father and a husband.

Smiling as she shuts the door, she remembers his eagerness so vividly. She had just nursed the baby to sleep as he got the boys in bed.

"I talked to my mom, she's going to watch the boys so we can enjoy each other this weekend." He had said as he kissed up and down her neck, while holding her tight. "Six weeks is so long, Bella. I need you."

He blushed and admitted to marking the date on the calendar when she gave him a strange look.

"You tracked when we could have sex even though I'm like barely showering and exhausted?"

With a shrug he said, "hell yeah," and kissed her breathless.

"Mommy! I needs water!" Brady called out, interrupting their moment and startling Rachel.

"I'm coming, little dude," Edward said and pointed like _there's the proof they need to go to grandma's._

"No, Daddy. I want mommy. Her waters betterer."

"It's better, Brady. Not better-er. Mama can I have a glass, too?"

Bella smacked his chest and handed him their daughter. She got two glasses of water and made sure to shake her hips as she walked for her husband. "I just heard that you two are going to sleepover at Grandma C's, this weekend! Isn't that exciting?"

He had laughed and rocked Rachel to sleep. Overwhelmed with joy that his once quiet, empty house was now full of yelling, crying, love and laughter.

Bella remembers the smile on his face and joy they had at feeling like a family, like as long as they were together the rest of the world could fall away and it would be okay.

"What are you smiling about, love?" Edward kisses her forehead, hugs Jacob and Brady as they run to greet him, and picks Rachel up out of her walker. "Did you miss me that much?"

"I always miss you that much," she says, and moves Rebecca from her shoulder to her arms so Edward could kiss her hello, too. "I was just remembering a conversation we had about, oh, nine or ten months ago."

"It's funny you say that. Mama is taking the boys again but I stopped at the drugstore before this turns into _19 Kids and Counting."_

"Do you realize only like two years ago we were both single and childless? And now..." She pauses to kiss his smiling lips, "Now, we have four kids under the age of five?"

"You mean, I met the other half of my soul and she blessed me with our four perfect, happy, healthy children?" He looks at his daughters, one pulling on his shirt pocket while the other sleeps peacefully in her mother's arms, and his sons playing with matchbox cars through the living room. "Yeah. I'm well aware I was all alone a couple years ago."

"But you aren't now."

"No. I'm not." He hugs Bella, puts Rachel back in her walker and heads to the kitchen for a drink.

"Dad, you gotta hurry up and get ready. Uncle Jasper doesn't like when we're late." Jacob says.

"I know he doesn't. Believe me! Can you help your mom get everyone ready so I can get a shower, please?"

Thirty minutes later they walk into Tiny's Tacos, but instead of Alice greeting them like the other customers the boys dart through the door and run to hug her. She's already kneeling down with her arms wide open, ready to catch them both.

"Aunt Alice! We missed you!"

"You just saw me a couple days ago, silly boys." She kisses both their cheeks and walks them to their corner booth.

"I already got the extra chair but we need a bigger table soon. Alice, we need to get a bigger table. We all won't fit much longer."

"Hi, Umple Jasper!" Brady yells and hugs his leg. He pats his head and says hello back.

"I have to wait until we all sit down to tell you. Alice says I have to wait. I can't just tell you when you walk in."

"Okay, Jasper. We'll all sit right away. You heard him boys, take your seats while I get your sisters situated." Bella straps Rachel in the high-chair and sits Rebecca, who's still in her carseat, on the extra chair next to the booth.

Edward gets cars out for Brady and crayons for Jacob, while never looking away from Jasper, who is a ball of energy. His feet are tapping and he's mumbling to himself while wringing his hands together.

"Jasper, are you okay?" Edward's voice is full of concern. He hates seeing his brother so unlike himself.

Jasper nods and looks at Alice. Her eyes watering as she nods back. She sits next to him and even Jacob shushes Brady, knowing something is going on.

"We're having a baby. Well, I mean, Alice is having the baby. It's in Alice's uterus, I…"

"Congratulations!" Edward and Bella yell together before he goes any further.

"Do I get a noder broder?" Brady asks wide-eyed.

"No. We get a…" Jacob looks at the adults, and tries to figure it out.

"You get a cousin. Our baby will be your cousin, Jacob."

"Oh, goody! We don't have any of those! We have brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas, a mom and a dad, but no cousins!"

"Yay!" Brady yells and Rachel quickly mimics by putting her arms up and yelling.

Alice cries tears of pure joy as she leans into Jasper's side. "I've always wanted a baby, but Umple Jasper only thought it was a good idea after getting to know you two and your sister. So, I owe y'all a big thank you."

Bella reaches across the table and grabs Alice's hand. Knowing how bad she wanted to be a mom and how long it took her to not only get Jasper to understand but truly feel the same way, makes her heart nearly burst with joy.

"How far along?" Bella asks softly. While her pregnancies had been a breeze, Alice had been trying for a year and had already suffered a miscarriage.

"We're eleven weeks and we were able to see the heartbeat yesterday! It's there and everything is good. So good."

Bella squeezes her hands tighter between her own, their fingers going white, as they cry together.

Edward's eyes start to shine with tears, Jacob notices and looks at his uncle.

"I think they're getting worse at using their words, Uncle Jasper." He points to Edward and Jasper furrows his brows in thought.

"No, Jacob. I think they just have a lot more to be happy about."

"I guess." He goes back to coloring a picture but then looks up at Jasper again. "You're going to be a good dad. I know it. Plus, mine can teach you all about it! Right, dad?"

Edward clears his throat, quickly wipes a tear away, and grabs Bella's hand. "Of course. I taught you that brothers always take care of each other, didn't I?"

"Yep! You teach us lots of stuff. I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, Jacob." Edward reaches over to pat his shoulder just as Brady jumps up and wraps his arms around his neck.

Bella squeezes his hand and kisses his cheek. "My sweet man. I love you."

"As I love you." He kisses her back and lets another tear fall, knowing there is no way to express his happiness with words.

 **THE END**

 **Thank you for reading and for hiving this little story so much love.**

 **All my love and gratitude,**

 **J**


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